Profile For James C.

Hi folks! Happy trucker appreciation week! I’m 43, combat vet and recently retired from 20 years corporate management. I wanted to drive a truck and it fit in with mine and my wife’s future plans. I started CDL school the first week in June of this year (2019). It was 2 weeks. We drove one hour the entire 2 weeks. The rest of the time was backing and pre-trip. It was literally CDL test prep, that’s all.

I did very well, my instructors pulled me aside often to tell me I was going to do good things in trucking etc. I scored perfect on my CDL testing in all sections. I studied really hard and soaked up as much knowledge from my instructors as I could. Then I went to my trainer. Training was supposed to be 5-6 weeks (200 hrs driving OTR). However, my trainer was on a dedicated account. So we ran nonstop. I drove 12hrs straight most days, while he slept and vice versa. My trainer said I was a natural and drove like someone with years experience, blablabla! Well my 200 hrs training was done in almost 2 weeks. I did so well that they wanted me to stay on the dedicated account. I “upgraded” and the examiners were the same way. “We are really impressed, you drive better than guys with several years under their belt.”

Then came the reality! I was put in a truck by myself running 2000+ miles a week, 20 stores and 6-10 backhauls a week. Not like with my trainer. We ran long and to remote towns. The routes I’m being given are in major cities in rush hour. The stores are in extremely tight quarters and smaller than the ones when I was with my trainer. My company runs freight for these stores third party. The stores are designed for day cabs with 48ft trailer or delivery vans. My company has me delivering in a sleeper and a 53ft. The account requires 6 months experience, obviously I’m 5 months short of that! I’ve already had an “incident” scraping a trailer turning behind a store. The space is ridiculously tight and my loads are around 43-44k so the tandems are not where they should be for these turns, to make weight.

My company pays $175,000 a week in damages for incidents on the store chains property nationwide! Maybe that’s a sign! So, my question to you guys? As a driver with less than a month experience, should I even be in this account? I’ve slowed everything I do down to a creep. I try not to take loads in the major cities with the smaller cramped stores or the super heavy dry vans. However, those are the loads no drivers want, so I end up taking these crappy loads because I’m the new guy trying to earn his stripes. I love driving! I love it! I love the money!

My family and kids have never had even a 4th of this kind of money! I just think I ended up in a spot that a guy with a month of experience shouldn’t be in! If I mess up again, I’m probably gone. Then I leave without the 6th months experience most companies are looking for, I miss out on the $3000 signing bonus I get over the first 6 months, plus they are paying for my $6000 tuition to the crappy “pass your CDL” driving school that really didn’t let us drive but an hour.

I don’t want to get fired! I’ve never been fired from a job my whole life. Every job I’ve ever had hated to see me go. I have a day long “close quarters maneuvers” class scheduled next month, which was supposed to be a prerequisite to be on this account along with the 6 months experience. I’m thinking I just shouldn’t be on this account with one month of driving. You folks shed some light for me?

This is my only experience so far with the trucking industry. Is this typical? Everybody at the office says “don’t sweat this man, you're doing great! But if it happens again you’re probably fired.” At the same time, guys in the same account with much more experience, in those two weeks rolled over in the lot because he didn’t check his kingpin and he flipped when his trailer uncoupled, totaled tractor/trailer.

A guy jackknifed and totaled tractor/trailer speeding in the rain with his cruise on. A guy punctured his full refer fuel tank on a concrete post behind a store, spilling it right there. That’s just in the last 2 weeks. Those guys got years of experience compared to me. What do you guys think I should do? Thanks